Adult day program operator asks Phoenix leaders for fence after repeated safety incidents
Loading...
Summary
An operator of an adult day (DTA) program told the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on March 5 that repeated trespassing, drug paraphernalia and an on‑site knife threat have made the program’s property unsafe and that the operator is seeking permission to install a transparent, electronic fence and gate to protect clients and staff.
An operator of an adult day (DTA) program told the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on March 5 that repeated trespassing, drug paraphernalia and an on‑site knife threat have made the program’s property unsafe and that the operator is seeking permission to install a transparent, electronic fence and gate to protect clients and staff.
The operator, who identified herself as Nikkei, described the program as supporting adults with developmental disabilities and said the business has been unable to grow because the site, at 30th Avenue and Northern (as stated during the remarks), attracts people who sleep near the trash receptacle, leave drug paraphernalia and in one recent incident approached staff with a knife. “We are very concerned about our property, which the homeless people just walk around the premises,” she said during public comment. She said staff have had to call the police multiple times in recent months and that the program seeks a remote‑operated gate so staff would not need to exit the building to open it.
Why it matters: The request illustrates how local service providers for vulnerable populations are affected by pedestrian safety and street homelessness near program entrances and the operational decisions those providers make to protect clients.
Response from city staff
Chairman Robinson paused the item until later in the meeting and, after the presentation concluded, city staff from the Office of Homelessness Solutions offered to meet with the operator to discuss interventions and to connect the operator with planning department resources to explore fence and gate approvals. Subcommittee representatives acknowledged the need for both safety and neighborhood access and asked staff to follow up.
Ending: Staff committed to follow up directly with the program operator to discuss possible interventions and planning steps; the operator said she was prepared to provide documentation and design details for a transparent, electronic fence and gate.
